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Dare Devil Peter Greenberg
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Sunrise by Lois
Sunset by Eliot
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A Favorite New York City Photo
It’s Almost A Wrap
Reply
Monthly Archives: December 2020
Some Really Hot Stories
Dolly Parton’s Sister Emerges as an Unfiltered Twitter Hero | W Magazine | Women’s Fashion & Celebrity News
https://www.wmagazine.com/story/stella-parton-dolly-partons-sister-twitter-covid-19/
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There Will Be No Return To ‘Normal
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Why is the Chinese government going after Jack Ma, the country’s richest man?
For the past 2 decades, being a Chinese billionaire has been a dangerous job. Whether it was a short life expectancy or threat of arrest for corruption, being uber-rich in China has not ended well for many.
Jack Ma — the 56-year-old founder of Alibaba and China’s richest man (worth $57B+, but frequently swapping the top spot with Tencent’s Pony Ma) — has mostly avoided a bad outcome…
… until this year
In November, it held up the listing of Alibaba’s fintech arm Ant Group, which was supposed to raise $34.5B, the biggest IPO ever.
The cancellation came after Ma criticized the country’s financial regulators for stifling innovation and called China’s bank “pawnshops.”
Last week, China launched an antitrust investigation into Alibaba itself, charging that the ecommerce giant forces merchants to sell exclusively on its platform.
Ma is perhaps China’s greatest entrepreneurial success story
Born in Hangzhou, China, Ma spent his youth learning English by spending time around tourists before studying the language in college.
Ma learned about the internet on a 1995 trip to the US. Upon his return to China, he launched numerous websites before co-founding Alibaba with 18 friends in 1999.
Today, Alibaba Group — which includes ecommerce leaders Taobao and Tmall — does $70B+ in annual revenue and is the “closest thing Amazon has to a peer and rival,” writes the NYT.
The diminutive tech titan has happily cultivated a superstar persona, even starring as a kung fu master in a short film.
Why is the crackdown happening now?
Under President Xi Jinping, the Chinese state has imposed a tighter grip over the economy, which puts Alibaba and its rival Tencent — both worth $600B+ — squarely in the crosshairs.
The clampdowns also come at a time of rising economic inequality: China has more billionaires than India and the US combined but also has 600m citizens earning less than $150 a month, per the NYT.
Jack Ma is becoming the posterboy for this wealth gap — perhaps the only job in China that’s more dangerous than “billionaire.”
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There’s a Asteroid the Size of a Small Planet in Our Solar System | Digital Trends
https://www.digitaltrends.com/news/large-asteroid-meteorite-ahs/
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The Hudson Yards of London
Related is all in on “15-minute city” in London
https://therealdeal.com/2020/12/27/related-is-all-in-on-15-minute-city-in-london/
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A Good Laugh
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Martian Dust is a Big Barrier to Colonization. Here’s Why | Digital Trends
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What Is Death?
Maybe you shouldn’t read this.
You have to admit it. The pandemic has made you think about your own mortality. The NY Times makes you face the inevitable.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/18/opinion/coronavirus-death.html?referringSource=articleShare
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$180K Helps ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ Namesake Pay Medical Bills, Rent | Patch
https://patch.com/florida/sarasota/musicians-raise-180k-alice-brock-s-medical-bills-rent
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Facebook’s Tone-Deaf Attack on Apple
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/18/opinion/facebook-apple-ads.html?referringSource=articleShare
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Viola Davis and Company on ‘Ma Rainey’ and Chadwick Boseman’s Last Bow
What The Heck Is That!?
The 23rd and 24th episodes of “What The Heck Is That!?” were just posted on YouTube. The shows are absolutely hysterical with two celebrity guests, Candy Samples and Amelia Fowler. Steve Greenberg, creator and executive producer, hosts and Harry Redlich and Lois Whitman-Hess have all the fun. Enjoy!
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IF YOU OWN A SMALL BUSINESS, THIS APP COULD BE A GAME CHANGER
In this episode, Lois Whitman-Hess and Steve Greenberg are “Lying On The Beach On Camera” with the CEO of the Seattle-based application called Ripl, Inc.
Ripl is a year-round, 24/7 affordable social media tool allowing small businesses to develop animated content for a strong social media presence. Sort of what WordPress is to setting up a blog, Ripl is to video content creations.
Simply put, Ripl is like the Swiss Army Knife of content creation and distribution for small businesses. It’s all about helping small business make a BIG impression on social media.
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This Chanukah was very emotional. Wishing everyone a healthy and happy year ahead. Love, Lois and Eliot
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JetBlue adds Miami and Key West to flight map
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2020/12/17/jetblue-adds-miami-and-key-west-to-flight-map/
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Thank you Family and Friends For Your Snow Pictures. We Really Appreciated Them.
Pertinent Information
You can fire employees who refuse to get vaccinated, with 2 exceptions
US employers have the ability to require their workers to be vaccinated for COVID-19, according to experts. The only exceptions to this will be if the workers have an underlying health condition or conflicting religious beliefs, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Those workers will likely need to be offered alternatives like working remotely or staying masked in the workplace. However, experts predict that most employers will merely ask their
Read in Business Insider: https://apple.news/AIbttRlVoRo-DHzGA5wspOA
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Forbes 30 Under 30
As North America settles in for a long pandemic winter, there are bright spots on the horizon. Hundreds of them. The 600 young entrepreneurs, activists, scientists and entertainers featured in our 10th Annual Forbes 30 Under 30 give everyone reason to hope. Some are defying the odds and building businesses despite Covid-19; others are helping to fight the illness, serving on hospital frontlines or working with A.I. to discover new drugs. This year they were photographed by one of their own:
Read in Forbes: https://apple.news/AcgtpYyldRymTywTznypCNQ
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Pandemic Photos
What You Can Do To Try To Avoid Covid-19
Thank you to our good friend, Marilyn Scher, who provided us with the video.
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Memorable Monday
Zoom in to learn the names of those who don’t believe in democracy.
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THIS YOU HAVE TO SEE. Video Shows Florida Man Rescuing His Puppy From Alligator Attack | TODAY
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DigiDame 